Ursula Nordstrom facts for kids

Ursula Nordstrom (February 2, 1910 – October 11, 1988) was a very important publisher and editor of children's books. She worked at Harper & Row from 1940 to 1973. Many people say she changed children's literature forever. Before her, many kids' books were just "morality tales" that adults thought children should read. Ursula Nordstrom helped bring out books that truly spoke to kids' imaginations and feelings instead.

She also wrote a children's book herself in 1960 called The Secret Language. Later, in 1998, a collection of her letters was published as Dear Genius: the Letters of Ursula Nordstrom.

About Ursula Nordstrom

Her Early Life

Ursula Nordstrom was born in Manhattan, New York, on February 2, 1910. Her parents, Henry E. Dixey and Marie Nordstrom, were vaudeville comedians. She grew up in New York City. For her education, she took business classes at The Scudder School for Girls in New York.

Her Publishing Career

Ursula Nordstrom started working at Harper & Brothers in 1936 as a clerk. She then became an assistant in the children's book section. In 1940, she became the editor-in-chief of the Department of Books for Boys and Girls. This was a big step! By 1960, she became Harper's first female vice president.

Ursula Nordstrom didn't like how most American children's books were at the time. She thought they were too gentle and sentimental. She wanted to publish books that were more real and exciting for kids. She took chances on books like Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are (1963) and Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy. Her famous saying was "good books for bad children," meaning she believed in honest, sometimes messy, stories for kids. She also believed that authors and illustrators should work closely together. This led to great teams like Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak, and Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd.

Many people in the book world thought her ideas were ahead of their time. But during her time as editor, Harper's books won three Newbery Medals and two Caldecott Medals. These are very important awards for children's books!

Ursula Nordstrom edited many classic children's books. Some of these include:

• E. B. White's Stuart Little (1945)
• E. B. White's Charlotte's Web (1952)
• Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon (1947)
• Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon (1955)
• Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur (1958)
• Karla Kuskin's Roar and More (1956)
• Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974)

She also worked with many other famous authors like Laura Ingalls Wilder, Ruth Krauss, Charlotte Zolotow, John Steptoe, M.E. Kerr, and Arnold Lobel.

Ursula Nordstrom stepped down as publisher in 1973. However, she continued to work as a senior editor with her own special section, called Ursula Nordstrom Books, until 1979. Her former assistant, Charlotte Zolotow, took over her role at Harper's.

Awards and Legacy

Ursula Nordstrom received several important awards for her work. In 1972, she won the Women's National Book Association's Constance Lindsay Skinner Award. In 1980, she was the first woman and children's publisher to get the Association of American Publishers' Curtis Benjamin Award.

Ursula Nordstrom passed away in 1988 at the age of 78. Her longtime companion, Mary Griffith, was with her. In 1989, she was honored by being added to the Publishing Hall of Fame. Her personal letters, which show her amazing personality and ideas, were published in 1998 as Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom.